This invention relates to a tape cassette, and more particularly to a tape cassette in which a magnetic tape such as an audio tape, a video tape or the like is received for recording and/or reproducing.
Conventionally, a magnetic tape such as an audio tape, a video tape or the like is rotatably received in a casing while being wound on a pair of reel hubs in a manner to be stretched therebetween. The casing used for this purpose generally comprises two casing halves or an upper casing member and a lower casing member formed of a synthetic resin material and joined together.
The so-formed conventional casing for a magnetic tape cassette is reduced in strength and light-weight, accordingly, vibration or shock applied to the casing during the recording or reproducing operation is transmitted directly to a tape traveling in the casing, to thereby deteriorate the characteristics of a sound produced from the tape and adversely affect recording and reproducing carried out by traveling of the tape. Also, this leads to a break or deformation of the casing by dropping or stamping. In order to solve such a problem, it is proposed to locally arrange a weighting element in the casing as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laying-Open Publication No. 160573/1980. Also, it is proposed to incorporate a weighting material such as metal powder in a material for the casing to weight the casing, resulting in restraining transmission of vibration or shock from the casing to the tape and/or increasing mechanical strength of the casing.
Such approaches effectively restrains transmission of vibration from the casing to the tape and increases weight of the casing because the weighting element or material is arranged in the casing or included in the casing material. However, this approach does not detachably arrange the weighting element or material at the casing. Accordingly, once the weighting element or material is provided at the casing, it is not possible to adjust and replace it, leading to a failure in improvement in strength of the casing and adjustment of vibration-damping properties of the casing or cassette after arrangement of the weighting means at the casing.
It would be considered an advantage if such weighting means is provided with any desired design such as a configuration, a pattern or the like which exhibits a decorative effect. Unfortunately, the above-described fact of the prior art that the weighting means is not replaceable also hinders the decorative effect from being varied, resulting in a failure to enhance the appearance and aesthetic properties of the tape cassette.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to develop a tape cassette which is capable of carrying out an improvement in mechanical strength of the cassette and adjustment of vibration-damping properties of the cassette after assembling of the cassette, as well as enhancing the aesthetic properties of the cassette.